Top 10 Disney Star Success Stories

Disney is a powerhouse company. Theme parks, movies, television, business ventures and iconic characters. Many celebrities have either gotten their start or had success with the Disney brand. After N’SYNC performed on the Disney Channel in 1998, their record sales boomed. So in honor of the fourth anniversary of the debut of the “tween” hit series “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” which stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse with Ashley Tisdale, we’ve compiled a list of performers who’ve had a hand in making Disney history.

1.  Shia LaBeauf – The action star of “Transformers” and “Indiana Jones” got his start as the goofy kid in the Disney TV show “Even Stevens.”

2.  Ryan Gosling – Ryan Gosling got his start on the “MMC,” aka “Mickey Mouse Club,” in the mid-1990s. Gosling later went on to appear in the Disney Film “Remember the Titans.” If he hadn’t made the “MMC” cast, there might never have been a Noah and Ally kiss in the rain from “The Notebook” or the memorable, and odd, relationship he had with Sandra Bullock, who is 16 years his senior.

3.  Keri Russell – The super-cute Keri Russell had success in the “MMC” like Ryan Gosling, and she also had a significant role in the Disney film “Honey, I Blew Up the Baby.” She later went on to star in the Golden Globe-winning show “Felicity.”

4.  Julie Andrews – Julie Andrews gave a memorable, and Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning, performance in Disney’s “Mary Poppins”. She later came back to Disney to star alongside Anne Hathaway in the film “The Princess Diaries.”

5.  Anne Hathaway – Before starring in “Bride Wars” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” Anne Hathaway starred in the 2001 movie “The Princess Diaries” with Julie Andrews. This movie went on to have a sequel in 2004 titled “The Princes Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.”

6.  Annette Funicello – It is difficult to think about “The Mickey Mouse Club” without thinking of Annette Funicello. After the show, she went on to star in beach movies with Frankie Avalon.

7.  Tim Allen – Besides starring in the successful TV series “Home Improvement,” Tim Allen‘s movies include the “Toy Story” series, “The Shaggy Dog,” “The Santa Clause” series and “Jungle 2 Jungle.”

8.  Dick Van Dyke – Dick Van Dyke was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Bert in “Mary Poppins.”

9.  Mickey Mouse Club 90′s Pop Stars – Seriously, something must have been in the water during the 1990s on the set of “MMC.” Already in this countdown are Keri Russell and Ryan Gosling who starred in the show along with the future pop stars. Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez all starred together on the Disney show. Other pop stars like Jessica Simpson, Nick Carter and Joey Fatone tried out, but were rejected.

10.  The Female Tween Superstars – Hillary Duff, and Miley Cyrus both launched into superstardom with “tween”-focused Disney channel television shows. Duff starred in “Lizzie McGuire” and Cyrus currently stars in “Hannah Montana” with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus (yes, the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer who formerly rocked a mullet). Add the ladies of the “High School Musical” series to this list.

List compiled by dailypress.com